tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494160638739613756.post4156691037235796336..comments2024-03-28T02:30:08.913-04:00Comments on Not Just Movies: The West Wing — Season 5Jakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09078001374402400232noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494160638739613756.post-84835062211751602592013-12-10T20:53:04.544-05:002013-12-10T20:53:04.544-05:00Good review, thank you. It's appreciated. I...Good review, thank you. It's appreciated. I'm a fan of Sorkin's writing and have enjoyed revisiting the West Wing (via Netflix streaming), if just for the first five seasons. The above reference to Sorkin's "take that fuckers" moment is hilarious, and probably true, as the fifth season sees the show's characters begin to act unlike themselves as we have grown to know them under Sorkin's writing - simply put, the show begins to fall apart and It's where I stopped watching the show. <br /><br />The fifth season sees Sorkin's wit and occasional grandstanding absent, as is the rapid-fire dialogue and vague references peppered in every other sentence. I watched the show because it not only brought up a number of subjects that I would later research out of curiosity (congressional censure, and Tammany Hall are two examples...yes I actually learned things from the show), but I primarily watched it because of Sorkin's very pointed and optimistic view of federal government as an instrument of good. I am a progressive/liberal who sees the role of government as a potential force of good, but only if it is involves everyone, not just the inside-the-beltway elite. The first four seasons of the show embodied that philosophy and each character drew upon it. Josh, Toby, C.J. and especially Sam and the President embodied this optimism, despite the massive bureaucracy that is government. The ideal is still held high, despite the clumsy machinations of the system itself. <br /><br />Sorkin's optimism that we can do better, that we can raise up instead of sinking to the lowest common denominator, is the kind of belief we need more of ("We are going to raise the level of public debate in this country"). He continues this optimism throughout Studio 60, where a new network chief decides to raise the level of television content to a higher standard. Again, Sorkin promotes the same idea in The Newsroom. It's his passion, raising the level of discourse, and he tries to do so in many of his projects. Sadly, his departure from the West Wing took that optimism away from the characters, leaving a void that was filled with writing typical of more traditional prime-time network drama.<br />Jack Stubhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17664553267896500309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494160638739613756.post-11320631512953839282012-09-14T15:08:09.188-04:002012-09-14T15:08:09.188-04:00I'm a little late to the game party here, but ...I'm a little late to the game party here, but for my money, Season 2, far and away, was the best, and the final episode of Season 2, "Two Cathdrals", was the best thing I've ever seen, on TV, in movies, on the stage....anywhere. For me, it was totally engrossing. I was never so riveted in my life. Spine tingling writing that didn't treat you like a Moran. Wow. That was different. About <br />Politics (which I had a career in). With a story that had many similarities to personal experience of mine. Aside from being good, it resonated deeply with me.<br /><br />Also, generally, aside from the loss Sorkin , which was obviously devastating, don't count out the loss of Rob Lowe. Sam was the most interesting compelling character IMO. Lowe nailed it. It even makes me forgive him for wrecking "The Hotel New Hampshire", although some of that has gotta be on the decision to put the incredibly beautiful Nastasia Kinsky in a friggen bear suit. Canman<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494160638739613756.post-31124144966966774472011-06-08T18:53:26.101-04:002011-06-08T18:53:26.101-04:00While I enjoyed the early seasons of the West Wing...While I enjoyed the early seasons of the West Wing, the fifth season was a disappointment and when I gave up on it. I suppose all shows have their high water mark and then an eventual denouement, and the fifth season is what that is for me.Carriehttp://facetjointarthritis.infonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494160638739613756.post-21925234243431263672010-05-24T08:48:47.661-04:002010-05-24T08:48:47.661-04:00Several months back, I decided I'd start chipp...Several months back, I decided I'd start chipping away at a second complete tour through the <em>West Wing</em> series. Or at least a tour through the first five seasons. Alas, last night I got around to "Let Bartlet Be Bartlet" ... I'm not even through the first season.<br /><br />It doesn't help that Season One is in many ways its most painful -- probably not as it was unfolding but after the best seasons of 2-4, if memory serves, in which the series found a groove. (Aside: I realize this is the case for almost all shows. It takes a season to find your identity and strengths. An in the case of <em>The West Wing</em> that meant taking a full season to realize that Moira Kelly's Mandy is one of the most annoying characters of any long-running show. But I digress.)<br /><br />My rough memories of Season 5 are like yours: it's still enjoyable, even if it starts running away from what it had been. We can knock the series for heading in the <em>ER</em> direction, but we also can't ignore that in its prime <em>ER</em> was some damn compelling drama. So, yeah, it switched identities, but it was still interesting. For me, the hardest part of the season is dealing with so much <em>John Goodman</em>, an actor I've never really cared for outside of his role on <em>Roseanne</em>. But I digress again.<br /><br />Personally, I love that the Zooey kidnapping is resolved within two episodes. Anything more would have seemed silly. The way it's written, the kidnappers come up with a good plan to nab her and get a little bit lucky on top of that, but then they're out of their league, which strikes me as pretty realistic. Committing big crimes like that isn't all that hard. It's getting away with them. (Aside: I work not too far from the restaurant where the kidnapper finds himself surrounded in the parking lot. I always think of that scene when I see it. That's digression No. 3.)<br /><br />Anyway, I think you're right: Sorkin really guides them there. And even if it isn't aligned with the show's spirit, you'd be hard-pressed to come up with three more thrilling consecutive episodes than those (finale of 4 and first two of 5). Again, if memory serves.Jason Bellamyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18150199580478147196noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494160638739613756.post-53302822280370963892010-05-23T15:40:14.487-04:002010-05-23T15:40:14.487-04:00Thanks Kevin. I have indeed reviewed previous seas...Thanks Kevin. I have indeed reviewed previous seasons, though I did so when I first started the blog (I received the complete series two Christmases ago and fell behind for about a year) and I'd like to revise at least a few of them.<br /><br />I haven't seen the rest of the series, but I know how it unfolds and I shall be curious to see how the shift in focus works. As it is, this season kind of hobbled the idea of staying in the White House anyway (it's like the show itself became a lame duck even though the characters worked harder than ever to get stuff done). Still, I found enough to enjoy about the season to at least have kept going at a moderate pace with it, but this used to be can't-put-down TV for me when I went through the first seasons. I forgot to even mention that I don't know what to make of the new vice president, because they make him both goofy like Quayle and scheming like Bush I or Nixon but they still present him as kind of good. I love Gary Cole, but he seemed to be as confused about his role as I was.Jakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09078001374402400232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494160638739613756.post-81404561625001328632010-05-23T13:17:49.008-04:002010-05-23T13:17:49.008-04:00You're a lot kinder to this season than I am. ...You're a lot kinder to this season than I am. I remember really disliking this season because Welles' need to make the White House like the emergency room in "ER". He failed to understand that these characters were interesting because of their singularity. Toby has always been my favorite character, and his dialogue and character really suffered when Sorkin left (I think Sorkin liked Toby and Josh -- which is no surprise since Whitford has always been a kind of avatar for Sorkin -- more than Wells did). However, I think CJ really came into her own during Wells' tenure, and her character -- since Toby is pretty much marginalized in the final three seasons -- is the most interesting thing about the Wells years, and one of the only reasons I stuck through season 5. <br /><br />I don't know if you've seen the last two seasons (I don't want to spoil anything for you), but the Republican bashing thankfully takes a break as Alan Alda becomes the Republican candidate for the presidency, and his character -- and his interactions with his staff over what he should be campaigning on -- is the best thing about the final seasons. It's sad, though, because Wells inserts a lot of his "ER" formula into the relationships aroud the White House staff, thus making them (sans CJ and Charlie) the least interesting thing in the final seasons; however, the campaign stuff with Alda and Jimmy Smits (and the breakdown of Josh who shines during the episodes concerning the campaign) is really, really good, and almost makes one forget about the atrocious fifth season.<br /><br />Great review. Have you reviewed previous seasons? Are you going to do subsequent seasons?Kevin J. Olsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17275402809912728035noreply@blogger.com